Pink Kissing Gourami

The kissing gourami (Helostoma temminckii) is a Southeast Asian fish, and the pink form sold in shops is a paler line of the wild greenish species. The name comes from the thick, protrusible lips, which are lined with fine rasping teeth used for scraping algae and biofilm from surfaces. The mouth-to-mouth pushing that gives the fish its common name is not affection but a trial of strength between two individuals working out which of them gives way.

Aquarium care

• Grows well beyond the size of most community gouramis and needs a large tank as an adult.
• Long-lived, so buy it with the adult fish in mind rather than the juvenile in the bag.
• Semi-aggressive; individuals push and spar with one another.
• A labyrinth fish that takes air at the surface.
• Omnivorous with a strong vegetable component: flake, pellets, blanched greens and algae wafers.

It suits a keeper with a big tank and robust tankmates such as larger barbs, silver dollars and other sizeable community fish. It is not a fish for a small planted aquarium, and it will graze on soft plants.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See the current gourami list.